The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-01-29
GERMAN OFFICIALS.
The Rigid System of Civil Service Prevail
ing Throughout the Empire.

1
ing Throughout the Empire.
The official system of Germany is a
curious and interesting one. In that
country to hold an office und1r the
Government is social honor and dis
tinction. The sons of the upper classes
of the mobiles, military officers and
those who are called the gentry-are
ambitious either to enter the army, to
become great landed proprietors or to-
belong to the diplomatic or civil service
These are the three occupations which
the Germans regard as the most aris-
tocratic.
| In order to enter the civil service so
as to be eligible for promotion to the
higher branches of it, the young Ger
man has to pursue a long and thorough
course of study. He must spend four
or five years in gymnasium or high
school, He must pass three more years
in university, and pass an examina-
ton at the end of that course
He must study law, which is neces-
gary requisite to entering the civil
service. He must then study in order
to pass another examination, which is
called the "Referendar," and to reach
which requires two or three years more.
Another and final examination awaits
him, called the estate examinations"
which is conducted both orally and in
writing; and then he is called upon to
write a ''treatise," which it takes him
six months to do, on subject assigned
to him. BY the time he is at last ready
to enter upon his first official duties he
is usually twenty-eight or twenty-nine
years of age.
The first office ordinarily held by the
newcomer within the official fold is
that of a Government assessor, unless,
indeed, he has been examined for a
diplomatic career in which case he is
first attached as a clerk to some con-
sulate. But even when he has been
appointed to be an assessor, he does
not at first have any duties to perform,
or receive any salary. He has to await
a vacancy, and bide his turn. He does
not compete with others for an actual
appointment. 1t is awarded to him &C
cording as his previous examinations
prove him better qualified than others.
When, finally, he actually has received
an appointment, and begins his life
work-foP there are no "terms" of
office, and appointments are entirely
indefinite as to time-his salary at first
is only seven hundred and fifty dollars
year. But now that he is fairly in,
he is gradually promoted from step to
step, receiving at long intervals an in
crease of pay. At the end of many
years service, his salary has perhaps
increased to two thousand or twenty
five hundred dollars.
The salaries of almost all officials in
Germany-even those of the highest
are generally lower than those of En-
gland and the United States. Even the
Imperial Chancellor, the very head of
the German official system, only gets
thirteen thousand five hundred dollars;
while the Under Secretaries of the great
departments mostly receive less than
four thousand dollars year. A few
of the higher officials are also allowed
residences at the expense of the Govern
ment.
After a certain number of years, vary
ing according to the office held the
civil servant is allowed to retire on
pension; which, however, never in
any case exceeds three-fourths of his
salary at the time of retirement. The
German officials have to work, usually,
seven or eight hours day; clerks of
the lower class work an hour or two
longer. There is an annual vacation of
from two to four weeks.
One of the chief motives which in
duce young Germans of good family to
enter the civil service is, that the hold
ing of office gives them an assured social
footing and position. Like the army
officers, they are admitted to the best
circles in Berlin, and, outside of their
offices, enjoy life heartily. Each one,
too, nurses the hope that he may, by
dint of faithful work and experience,
rise to the higher places of official
power, and preside over the department
in which he began at the bottom
Youths Companion.